Not the phone I expected

[Trixie]

Just recently they added caller ID to our phones where we can actually see who's calling and not just the number. For instance, we can tell every time our store manger's husband calls.

Yesterday I was near a phone while it was ringing and recognized the name of a older lady. She's very nice but will talk and talk and talk. Anyway, I answered it and begin to answer a bunch of questions. She was asking if certain people were working, they weren't. Then she was trying to figure out who I was.

After all that, she said she called just to tell us that her husband passed away that morning. She just wanted to let us know. Then I had to go and pass the news on to my coworkers. Yeah, not fun.

Sometimes it's easy to forget how much some people rely on us for more than just merchandise.

[Minflick]

We have a few clients like that. Hurts my heart for them; and sometimes, I just don't HAVE the time to shoot the breeze.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

We have a few clients like that. Hurts my heart for them; and sometimes, I just don't HAVE the time to shoot the breeze.

We do as well at the Litter Box. Some of the long time customers I've learned by name (such as Munch, who's there almost daily picking up for either his mom, who is homebound, or his brother who I think lives with them.) Sometimes Munch may shoot his mouth off when it comes to politics or race issues but otherwise he's . . . well, Munch.

When I see some of our regulars, it's hard for me not to take the time to chat for a minute or two . . . such as:

Fred and Wilma - an older couple who are in there all the time. Older couple, both retired. One child who lives out of town . . . they also come in for groceries/money orders/ etc for Wilma's mother, who is in her late 80s and has trouble getting around. Fred always has candy to hand out to us employees (sweet, I know.) and they are always buying for the outside kitties that they are trying to take care of (as a fellow cat lady, I can well relate.) I think I spent about 5 or 10 with them yesterday while on the pet food aisle.

Grandma (and she does resemble my late paternal grandmother, only she has a nicer personality than Dad's mother ever had) - she's taking care of her husband (who had a stroke some years back and has limited mobility) She's been remodeling her home (that kitchen took months to get done and now she's moved on to painting) and dealing with 3 grown kids and grown grandkids who can sometimes be a PITA. I usually see her on Thursdays (sometimes she'll come on Wednesday or friday, depending on if she has to take hubs to the doctor.) Didn't see her this past week, but I'm sure I'll see her this coming week. Hopefully her one daughter has finished repaying her back what she borrowed from Mom and Dad (she got a partial deposit into her bank account but only half of the amount.)

Then we have Mother Earth, who is an older widow (she lost her husband a couple of years back) and she's currently retired now (health issues.) She worked for a time at the cafeteria at the far end of the shopping center when it first opened but had to leave b/c she was having issues w/her blood pressure. We call her Ma b/c she's like a Mom to all of us and she'll come in and check on us chillens. Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen her this past week . . . she may be spending the Fourth cooking and spending time w/her kids and grandkids.

But yeah, when we see customers in person, such as a grocery store setting, we get to know them. They become more than just customers . . . they are like extended family and we will go that extra mile for them. It's part of what our company expects us to do (sometimes not to that extent but they do preach knowing your customers.)

[Trixie]

We have a whole bunch of customers, mostly older people that we all know by name and help out probably more than others. I have a few in photo that as soon as I see them I go right to help them because I know they'd want me to. And it gets me out of doing whatever busy work the managers want. Hey, I gotta be realistic here.

We have one woman who's high maintenance. She's not very nice but she's not outright mean either. It also hasn't help that a few years ago she was in a bad car accident (car was totaled) and she's still having issues with that. Anyway, one day I was helping her find stuff on the shelf and she said that she doesn't know what she'd do without us.

I wish we could get corporate to see those kind of interactions instead of the stupid shit they want us to do. Pushing gum and candy bars does not bring people back in to shop.